What is Marcopoloni?

Our goal is to bring people like you, who cherish and appreciate fine artistry, closer to the artisans who create them. Everything we offer is handmade by carefully-selected artisans who pour their love and pride into each piece of work.

Much as Marco Polo brought the Western world in contact with the treasures of the Far East in the late 13th century, Marcopoloni strives to put you in touch with beautiful handmade goods from around the world!

Campomaggi

Last time I saw Marco I got to spend a lot of time talking about him, his family, and his inspiration. He was happy to let me record an interview with him in which we discussed a new leather type he created for his Fall/Winter collection.

Besides giving a preview of what’s to come and how Mr. Campomaggi got his inspiration for one of his new collections, the interview reveals a lot about the motives behind the Campomaggi brand and the beliefs that shape it.

First, as it states on the tag, Campomaggi believes that time does not take away, but adds to, character. That’s why so many Campomaggi products are designed to look distressed or aged from the onset. And that’s also why the vast majority of Campomaggi bags and accessories use full grain leather, which ages well and lasts longer.

But why is time so important? Because memories and the emotion of time passing by is something that Campomaggi is trying to capture. I think that if a bag is able to remind you of your childhood, for example, then the bag’s highest ambition has been accomplished.

There were two moments in the interview that are particularly dear to me because they show why Campomaggi embodies so well the role of the ideal Marcopoloni artisan. First, he says that he is trying “to instill a soul inside a material.” This is something that we feel and that our customers frequently report back to us. Second, he thanks his customer for the feedback which is what keeps him going. That was a rare moment in which I got to experience customers and artisans closer together–something that is part of our mission at Marcopoloni.